Typewriter desk



March 28, 1944. GRAFF I 2,345,254

TYPEWRITER DESK Filed April 6, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l r k x m H g /5 22 y 2/ Q ?::L4 T 7 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 2,345,254 TYPEWRITER nus}; John B. Graft, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to Gunn Furniture Company, Grand Rapids,

Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application April 6, 1942, Serial No. 437,-81-4 8 Claims. 3(7Cl. 312729) This invention relates to improvements in typewriter desks.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a typewriter desk having a typewriter table which may be collapsed and retracted within a compartment, at the same time onein which when the table is withdrawn from the compartment and adjusted to erected position, is verystrong and rigid.

Second, to provide a structure having these advantages in which the table is effectively supported against vibration and does not become rickety even after long wear.

Third, to provide a structure having these ad'- vantages which is very economical to produce although mainly constructed of wood.

Fourth, to provide a structure having these advantages which is very easily manipulated.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a type-" writer desk embodying my invention with the typewriter table in its erected position.

Fig- 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the structure with the table in erected position showing further details of the structure.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view with the table in collapsed position and retracted within the compartment.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on a line corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. 4 with the table in its erected position.

, Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1 with the table in its erected position.

v Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view partially in section illustrating certain details of the table supporting means.

.Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the rear end of the table.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, l represents a double pedestal desk, the pedestal 2 having a stack of drawers and the pedestals. having a compartment 4 provided with a door 5. The door 5 is exteriorly ornamented to give the appearance of a stack of drawers when it is closed. The structural details. of the desk P m are-notfully'illustrated or described as they form i a V-shaped recess.

no part of the present invention which relates to the typewriter features of the desk.

The typewriter table 6 is hinged at 1 on the slide 8 which is disposed vertically at the outer side of the compartment. It will be noted that in this embodiment the slide approaches in height the depth of the compartment. The slide 8 in this embodiment illustrated is frame-like in structure, the purpose being to provide a rigid slide capable'of carrying the typewriter table with a typewriter bolted thereto. The table is provided with bolt holes 9. At the bottom of the cabinet and adjacent the outer wall of the compartment is a slideway Ill, an upper slideway ll being provided at the top of the compartment. The lower slide or carriage is provided with rollers l2. The table 6 collapses against the inner side of the slide or carriage which is provided with a buffer or bumper l4. it will be noted that the table must be collapsed when the slide is moved into the compartment.

To support the table rigidly in its erected position, I provide adjacent the front of the compartment upper and lower guiding and supporting blocks 15 and i6 with an intermediate block l1. These blocks l5 and I6 maybe formed of one piece as illustrated or separately according to manufacturing convenience and I have not shown means but glue supplemented by screws or nails, if desired, would be used.

The members i5 and it are spaced to provide aforwardly facing slot i8 while the front end of the member H has a V-shaped recess l9 thereby providing a forwardly facing slot terminating in The upper corner of the member i6 is curved at I91 to provide a guiding surface.

The table 6 has a side recess 26 at the rear end thereof, the forward end of this recess terminating in a wedge-shaped portion or tongue 2| adapted to wedgingly fit the v-shaped recess it when the table; is in its fully erected position.

'A-furthe'r supporting and steadying means is 5 provided in the form of steady block ii-see Fig.

6,'h aving the'lower front corner 23 thereof rounded so that when the table is in its fully erected pos tion; i sl d u de i block h ch car pa t of th -lo The steady block 22 is mounted in the compartment adjacent the. hinged side of the table, and the elements [5,16 and I! are disposed at the opposite side of the compartment.

The table-is preferably provided with a fence 24 which, when the table is erected, slides under the crosspiece 25 on the underside of the desk top.

To erect the table, the slide is drawn outwardly to the full extent and the table swung upwardly to a horizontal position. The slide is then I pushed inwardly, which brings the rear end of the table into engagement with the guiding and supporting blocks and wedgingly engages the tongue 2| with the recess l9 and the table 'further slides under the block 22 which further sustain the torsional or twisting stresses on the table. In this position the table is very rigidly sup-I ported-at the same time it may be quickly released merely by pulling forward on the slide sufficiently to disengage the table from the slots cluding a compartment, of a slide disposed vertically at the outer side of said compartment and approximating in height the depth of the com- .a forwardly facing V-shaped recess wedgingly H receiving the said tongue on said table, and a steady flolock mounted within the compartment I8 and then allowing thetable to swing down-' wardly to collapsed position.

The table is provided with a handhold 26 for convenience in manipulation, this being located at the forward inner corner. A stop 21 is provided to limit the outward movement of the slide, the slide having a coacting stop 28.

I have not attempted to illustrate or describe certain modifications or adaptations which might be desirable or necessary for other types of desk structures but it is believed that the disclosure made will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: 1

1. The combination in a typewriter desk including a compartment, of a table slide, a slideway for said table slide mounted within said cornpartment, a table hingedly mounted on said slide to collapse at the inner side thereof, the rear end of the table being provided with a rearwardly direoted Wedge-shaped tongue, and supporting means for said table when it is in its horizontal [position including a forwardly facing slot adapted to receive a portion of the table when the slide is pushed inwardly with the table in horizontal position, said slots terminating in a forwardly facing V-shaped recess wedgingly receiving said tongue on said table. I

2. The combination in a typewriter desk including a compartment, of a slide disposed vertically at the outer side of said compartment and approximating in height the depth of the compartment, slideways for the top and bottom edges of said slide, a table hinged on the inner side of said slide to collapse at the inner side thereof, the rear end'of the table being recessed at the swinging side edge thereof and provided with a rearwardly directed wedge-shaped tongue at the forward end of the recess, upper and lower guiding and supporting blocks disposed at the inner side of the compartment and coacting to provide a forwardly facing slot adapted to receive a portion of the table at the forward end of said recess when the table is in fully erected position, the upper corner of the forward end of the lower block being rounded, at block disposed between said supporting blocks having a forwardly facing V-shaped recess constituting a continuation of the slot and wedginglyreceiving the said tongue on said table, and a steady block disposed within the compartment and adapted to engage the top side of the table at its rear end when it is in fully erected position, the lower corner of the forward ,end of said steady block being curved. 1

3. The combination in atypewriter desk in-.

to engage the top side of the table at its rear end when it is in fully erected position, the lower corner of the forward end of the steady block 7 being curved. 1

4. The combination in a typewriter desk including a compartment, of a slide disposed vertically at the outer side of said compartment, slideways for the top and bottom edges of said slide, a table hinged on said slide to collapse at the inner side thereof, the rear end of the table being recessed at the swinging side edge thereof and provided with a rearwardly directed wedge-shaped tongue at the forward end of the recess, a support element provided with a forwardly facing slot at the inner side of the compartment adapted to receive a portion of the table at the forward end of said recess when the table is in fully erected position, and terminating in a forwardly facing V-shaped recess wedgingly receiving the saidtongue on said table.

5. The combination in a typewriter desk includin a compartment, of a slide dispose d verti-. cally at the outer side of said compartment and approximating in height the depth of the compartment, slideways for the top and bottom edges of said slide, a tablehinged to said slide to collapse at the inner side thereof, the table being provided with a rearwardly directed wedge-shaped'tongue, a support elementprovided with a forwardly facing slot adapted to receive a portion of the table when the slide is pushed inwardly with the table in its horizontal erected position, said slot terminating in a forwardly facing V-shaped recess wedgingly receiving the said tongue on said table, and a steady block mounted within the compartment to engage theltop side of the table when it is in fully erected position.

6. The combination in a typewriter desk includinga compartment, of a slide disposed vertically at the outer side of said compartment and approximating in height the depth of the compartment,

slideways for the top andxbottom edges of said slide, a table hinged on said slide to collapse at the inner side thereof, the rear end of the table being )IOVlded with a rearwardly directed wedge-shaped tongue, a support element provided with a for wardly facing slot at the inner side of the compartment adapted to receive an edge portion of the table when the slide is pushed inwardly with the table'in its horizontal erected position, said slot having a forwardlyfacing V-shaped're'cess at the inner end thereof wedgingly receiving the said tongue on said table whenthe table is erected.

7. The combination in a typewriter desk including a oompartment, of a slide, slideways. for said slide, a table hinged to said slide to be collapsed at theside thereof or to beswung toa horizontal position and having a rearwardly directed wedge-- shaped tongue, a. support element provided'with a forwardly'facin'g slot adapted to receive aportion,

0f the table when the table is in fully erected position, and a forwardly lfa'cing V-shaped recess wedgingly receiving the said tongue on said table, and a steady block adapted'to engage the top side of the table at its rear end when it is in fully erected position.

8. The combination in a typewriter desk including a compartment, of a slide, slideways for said slide, a table hinged to said slide to be collapsed at the side thereof or to be swung to a horizontal position and provided with a rearwardly directed tongue, and a support element provided with a forwardly facing slot adapted to receive a portion of the table when the table is in fully erected position, said slot terminating in a. forwardly facing V-shaped recess wedgingly receiving said tongue on said table.

JOHN B. GRAFF. 

